EU must take lead role on pharma, and patient access, says Czech minister
In an interview with Euractiv, Matoušková urged the EU to move from passive coordination to proactive support, particularly when it comes to ensuring equitable access to innovative medicines and building the Union's strategic autonomy in healthcare.
Matoušková, who took office in February this year, believes the COVID-19 pandemic and the EU's fragmented response exposed structural weaknesses that Brussels now has an opportunity to address. 'We have the brains, but we lack coordination – and that is the role of the European Union,' she said.
She argues that the EU level is the only viable arena to tackle the uneven and delayed access to new medicines that persists across member states.
'Some smaller states do not introduce medicines, even though the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has approved them, as quickly as others. If we really want a patient-focused approach, this has to change,' she said.
The Czech deputy minister voiced strong support for the pharmaceutical package currently negotiated by EU institutions in the trilogues. However, she underlined that success will depend on finding the right balance between patient access, price and industry incentives. 'The compromise is crucial,' she said.
She noted that the Commission's proposal rightly aims to increase access to medicines in all member states, but that this will require cooperation from industry. 'They need to understand what we are trying to achieve: speed of rollout and availability,' Matoušková said.
Innovation vouchers
One of her concerns is the growing trend of pharmaceutical companies threatening to pull out of Europe in response to proposed changes in market exclusivity rules. 'The USA invests significantly more – three times more than the EU, I believe. But it's not just about money. It's about how fast we bring medicines to market and how long the data and market protection lasts,' she said.
Matoušková acknowledged the financial pressures innovators face and expressed support for maintaining incentives that allow for returns on investment.
To bridge the interests of both patients and industry, she supported 'a system of innovation vouchers' as a complementary tool to support faster development and approval of new drugs, while maintaining investment appeal.
She also addressed the broader relationship between innovation and generics, noting, 'I think generics will always be here. But we need to push for innovation, that is what we need to protect.'
Matoušková also sees digital health as an area where EU leadership is urgently needed.
While the European Health Data Space regulation has opened a promising debate, the deputy minister warns that implementation is lagging in some areas. 'We would like to have shared medical documentation, but we are missing regional data networks. We do not have enough infrastructure to make it work,' said Matoušková.
She believes the EU should step in with funding and coordination. 'The EU should provide the legal framework, the conditions, and the funding. The EU should be the roof over the whole structure,' she said.
Cross-border cooperation
Her ambition is also to see greater EU involvement in cross-border emergency services. 'Why do we need bilateral treaties for cross-border emergency care? We could define it at the EU level,' she said.
In the longer term, Matoušková urges Brussels to invest in services that reflect demographic changes and make a difference on the ground, such as palliative care and home-based support for older people. 'Personally, I am not a fan of building more facilities. Care should move closer to patients, into the field, into their homes,' she said.
She would also welcome more EU guidance on workforce reform, including a broader debate on prescription rights for qualified non-physician personnel, adding that, 'We have very erudite non-physician professionals in Czechia, but they haven't been granted the appropriate competences.'
Her message to EU policymakers is clear: health policy must be treated as a strategic investment. 'We should see the EU not as a repressive body, but as a source of change – an institution that supports innovation. Not as a dictator, but as a partner that helps address our needs,' she said.
[Edited by Vasiliki Angouridi, Brian Maguire]
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